IndieReader’s “Buff” Book Checkup

For years, authors and readers alike have bemoaned the “glut” of content available from online ebook retailers. In the beginning, the get-rich-quick authors who slapped up worthless content gave the entire notion of self-publishing a bad name; but even with the fading away of those types of “authors,” even the number of really worthy reads makes it hard to discover great new voices in a crowded marketplace.

Short of high-dollar promotion budgets, there are a few things that authors can do to make sure their work stands out, at least to the best of its ability. Professional editing, formatting, cover design, and keyword diagnostics help authors make their hard work even more noticeable, which is why IndieReader is asking the hard question: Is your book “buff” enough?

Through serious questions about the book’s creation–paired with their fun graphics based on hardcore physique–IR’s quiz gives authors an introspective peek at the process.

“In today’s market, indie authors aren’t just competing against each other for market share,” explained IndieReader’s founder Amy Edelman. “They’re competing with traditionally published books, too. So it’s more important than ever that a book’s core elements (ie, editing, formatting and cover design) are good enough to compete.

“IndieReader has created the ‘How Buff is Your Book?’ quiz to help indie authors determine where their books measure up and where they could use some help. Additionally, we’ve included links to articles that provide further info and advice.”

Unlike those other fun time-wasters (looking at you, every single quiz from Women.com that seems to magically score your knowledge of Steel Magnolias as 100%), this quiz stands to not only help you analyze where you might want to spend a little more time, money, or focus, but also arms authors with articles to help get them started. To check out the Buff Books quiz for yourself, visit IndieReader’s site by clicking here.